Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Thousands are still stranded at Gatwick, from what I read in the BBC news this morning. Others at Heathrow. Absolutely distressing situation and I'm both so very glad that I made it home on Sunday--and so guilty that I was one of the lucky few. I don't know if my friend, Diana, is back in Dublin yet--her flight was supposed to leave Monday. Is Warren still at Gatwick as well or did he finally get back to the States on Sunday?

A few photos from the return... these by no means show the state of the whole situation. I learned, by the way, that apparently if one makes photos from a departure lounge of the view from the window--of plane de-icing and overviews of the runway--that one then becomes subject to both full body search and bag inspection even through I'd already been admitted into the area with my boarding pass. I enjoyed two full body searches while trying to depart, in fact... once going through security for the flight that was scheduled after the cancelled one, then the one at the departure gate.

It was bright and sunny as I left on Friday afternoon. I stayed overnight at a hotel near Gatwick so that I could get to the airport by 6 a.m. on Saturday morning as it was recommended to arrive three hours in advance of the flight departure--scheduled for 9:15 a.m. on December 18.

We drove off with a cheery farewell from Magenta, LouLou and Diana

On the way to the hotel near the airport snow began to fall. It had stopped by arrival and I spent a calm evening in my comfortable hotel room near Gatwick. I got up at 4 a.m. on Saturday to get myself together for the short trip to the airport... gave myself the luxury of a taxi after standing in the slush and freezing conditions for several minutes waiting for the airport shuttle bus that was to arrive every twenty minutes. The snow had gotten worse through the night although it wasn't snowing at that point. After arriving at the terminal, I checked in easily and was on my way... I thought.

Our plane was to begin boarding at 8:20 a.m. and was to depart at 9:15. We actually were allowed onboard later than expected and by about 9:45 this was the view from my seat inside the plane as the snow got heavier and heavier. The pilot said we would wait while the plane was de-iced and the runway clearer. Then he said more de-icing would occur. After about an hour all of the passengers feared the worst... that we wouldn't be able to take off after all. And that was indeed the case. We were unloaded from the plane after a couple of hours, told to be at the gate at 5:30 the next morning (Sunday, December 19) and that our flight was rescheduled for ll a.m.

Here's what a parking area looked like from a breezeway between the gate and the terminal... snow continued to fall through the rest of the day.

One view of one area inside Gatwick... this was one of the more comfortable areas because there shops and cafes around. Food was running short by the morning in most of the places, though. There was limited seating and most shared the spaces graciously. However, there were instances of people lying across several seats. I have no photos of all of the people lying in the floors. There were a few blankets--but those were ones passengers had taken off the planes with them. I regretted leaving mine behind!

Warren, on the left, and Diana, in the center, came from the South Terminal where their flights were cancelled to the North Terminal to find me. We met the woman at the right, Georgina, when we had a snack at the bar. She joined us throughout the evening. She was having little success of finding information about her flight. People were forming small group relationships all over the airport, small "tribes" to look out for each other--share watch over luggage when going to the toilet, for instance.

On Sunday morning, after being in long lines for many hours, first to get the boarding pass needed to re-board the previously cancelled flight, we then pushed through the hundreds of others waiting for their turn for boarding pass to get in the next long line to go through security once more. We overheard one of the airline employees referring to us who were herded between the stanchions as "those in the pit" -- it felt more like cattle in the chutes.

Through all of this during the day on Saturday and throughout out the long night until Sunday morning there was mostly calm resignation. Our flight, scheduled to leave at 11 a.m. was finally in the air by around 1:30. However, we had a long delay in boarding because the airline OVERSOLD the flight by twenty tickets!! Once the announcement was made of that fact and that Delta was offering $1000 Delta dollars (whatever that means), plus overnight lodging (like, right--a hotel room was available anywhere and even if it was... could one get to it??), plus a ticket for a flight the next day (guess where those people still are now???!) for 20 people to volunteer to not be on the plane, a near riot broke out among those of us who'd been on the plane the day before and had to leave it--a plane that hadn't been overbooked then. Of course I know people were desperate to get away--but for the airline to continue to sell tickets was unbelievable.

Eventually there was resolution... don't know what it was--did "volunteers" appear or did the Delta delete the passenger(s) if they'd bought their tickets later. I wish them well but those of us who spent the long day and night at the terminal were desperate to leave. When the plane finally lifted off the ground there was a spontaneous applause throughout the cabin. And almost nine hours later, after a very smooth flight, there was even more applause as the plane landed in Atlanta. Unfortunately for thousands of others, continued cancellations have caused more delays. This news report with short video shows some passengers three days into their stay at Gatwick.

I'm so very glad to be home and I hope all others will make it home safely and soon. My West Dean TAPESTRY adventure postings will continue eventually with more photos and comments. But for now...

Happy holidays--safe and warm ones--to all of you. I hope you are where you wish to be and I hope others will be there soon.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Snow as the plane was to leave... delayed at first, then cancelled. Spending the night with thousands at Gatwick Airport. Supposed to leave 11 a.m. on Sunday... over 24 hours after schedule. Still awake and will be for some time to come!

Friday, December 17, 2010

I have hundreds of photos in the computer from West Dean... just hope to get home to sort through them all and post a few (not hundreds, don't worry!)

Right now I'm at a Premier Inn across from Gatwick Airport. I was picked up by taxi at West Dean College this afternoon and after an hour and a half drive (through snow part of the way) got to the hotel. I'm settling in now for the evening and will be up and out of here by around 5 a.m. Check in is recommended three hours prior to boarding and boarding time is 8:20 a.m. UK time. Flight's supposed to leave at 9:15. HOPE IT DOES! I'm ready to get home, see husband and cat, get some rest, then get ready for visit from friends for the holidays. Of course, the studio calls to me at home and I'm ready, willing and able to get there and get busy.

About my work

I am an artist who observes and responds to my surroundings for inspiration.My primary artistic medium is handwoven tapestry, an ancient method of working with fibers to create images.As I seek images and ideas to interpret into tapestry I experience my surroundings a closely as I can. Photographs, sketches, paintings, and writings all are part of the research I put into my work.

I have been living in the southern Appalachians most of my life and so my surroundings are filled with natural forms of woods, streams, and fields.My eyes are frequently drawn to the myriad details of the landscape and many of my tapestries are based on aspects of those details, simplified and enlarged in a weaving.

time marches on...

Tapestry diary of the year 2018 is underway. I'm doing individual days as bands, squares or rectangles of separate colors. Months are going to be represented as larger images, each month being sticks OR stones. I've just finished the stick for July, a mountain laurel twig.

...(I) have come to the conculsion that tapestry can indeed be an art form in its own right with its own specific mode of expression if the craft of weaving is allowed to influence the art of tapestry. In order to be meaningful, tapestry must find its own identity. It must not be a woven painting, but rather a composition that could only have been woven, not painted.